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Arroz con Leche and Helping Kids Stay Connected With Culture

My family spent this summer in Ecuador. It was glorious! A few days after being back, a co-worker asked me what is the hardest thing when I have to leave my home country.

“Is it your family? Is it your friends? Is it the food?,” she asked me with interest.

“Well…” I said, trying to decide if I wanted to share my feelings to a stranger… “The hardest past is to see the sadness of my kids about leaving the country.”

I’d have never imagined that my kids would feel homesickness for a land where they were not raised. However, the more they learned about my culture and traditions, the more attached they are to this place, and the more they feel they belonged. I think that’s why it hurts, because they know that area of the world is also part of who they are.

Since we are back-to-school season and back to routine and structure, it’s important to me to aside time to connect with my kids and share more about our Latino heritage. It helps a lot with the transition of adjusting again to real life. One of the best ways to do this is through food, especially when it’s a dish where I can use familiar brands that I grew up with such as Nestlé, a beloved brand for Latinos all over the world.

When I think about Nestlé, I think about my childhood savoring delicious dishes. And that’s exactly what I want my kids to experience, too. That is why Nestlé is a part of my shopping basket. I’m thankful that Nestlé products can be available at Walmart. That makes everything so easy since Walmart has the best prices! Check out the Nestlé’s Back to School product shelf on Walmart.com here.

Arroz con Leche Recipe

Arroz con Leche is a traditional Latino dessert. It’s a treat to be enjoyed all the year round. I often make it during school season because it’s the perfect dessert to connect with the kids after a long day at school. Plus, it’s a good after school snack! In Latin America, we love it so much that we even have a nursery rhyme for it!

I remember my mom preparing this dessert and singing “Arroz con leche me quiero casar…” while mixing Nestlé® La Lechera® Sweetened Condensed Milk. Your favorite desserts and drinks will be special when you prepare them with the creamy sweetness of Nestlé La Lechera. Don’t forget that you can also find Nestlé La Lechera in an easy-to-use squeezable bottle. It’s the original classic, bringing smiles to families since 1921.

Ready to make Arroz con Leche? This is what you’d need:

5 cups of whole milk

1 cup of rice

1/2 cup of sugar

1/2 cup of raisins

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 tablespoon vanilla

2 cinnamon sticks

2 orange peel strips

1/2 cup of Nestlé® La Lechera® Sweetened Condensed Milk

Instructions:

Bring the milk to boil with cinnamon stick and the orange peel.

Wash and rinse the rice before adding it to the milk.

Cook on low heat until the rice is tender and stir occasionally. It usually takes 75 minutes.

Add the sugar and cook for other 15 minutes. It’s important to stir frequently.

Add the butter, vanilla, and La Lechera and stir well for 2 minutes.

Rear from heat and let it cool.

Hopefully, we are back to Ecuador next year. Till then, we would connect with the magic of my home country through its traditional food and the familiar brands that are beloved to our culture.

How do you help your kids stay connected to your culture during back to school season?